Patent GB-380103-A (GB)
Abstract: 380,103. Checking receipts ; transfer mechanism. LEWERS, W. H., 47, Victoria Street, London.-(Ohmer Fare Register Co. ; Bolander Avenue, Drayton, Ohio, U.S.A.) May 6, 1931, No. 13450. [Class 106 (i).] In a machine for printing and issuing stamps of various denominations and having denominational setting-means and a subtracting totalizer, the totalizer is adapted to be set to a predetermined amount and to lock the machine against further operation when it shows a reading below the maximum value of stamp which the machine is designed to print, resetting being effected by a key and acting to release the lock. An indicator and an adding totalizer which cannot be reset are also provided, the amount set by the denominational setting- means being indicated on the indicator, added to the adding totalizer, and subtracted from the subtracting totalizer. The parts are enclosed in an outer casing, the members of which cannot be separated from one another. An index plate 8, Fig. 1, is secured to the front of the machine, and setting-levers, extending through slots therein, can be set from a zero position to any numeral up to 9. The setting- levers 47, 57 .. 62, Fig. 2, control the adjustment of drums 33 .. 39, the drums 37, 38, 39 indicating, for example, dollars and cents, the drum 36 the classification, e.g. parcel post &c., the drum 33 the postal district, and the drums 34, 35 the weight. Each of the setting-levers is provided with a segmental gear 49, Fig. 6, rotatably mounted on a shaft 48, and the setting of the levers is also communicated to further segmental gears 338, Fig. 2, rotatable on the shaft 48, and to printing-wheels 109, Fig. 6. The machine is operated electrically or by a crank handle 20, the operation being communicated to a shaft 86, Fig. 3, which rotates once for each operation. Rotation of the shaft is communicated to a shaft 98 provided with a crank 93 connected to an oscillating carrier 96 for impression rollers 101, 102, Fig. 6. An inking-roller 105 is carried by a lever pivoted on the shaft of the roller 102. Oscillation of the carrier causes the rollers 101, 102 to press webs 110, 113 of paper on to the printing-wheels 109 as in Specification 276,436, [Class 106 (iii), Fares &c]. The web 110 is rewound on a roll 112 to form a permanent record, but the web 113, which is in the form of a gummed strip, is fed between a roller 115 and an electroplate 116 serving to print the postal permit or other unchangeable data. The electroplate is intermittently actuated by Geneva mechanism 89, 120, 121 which rotates it once for each operation of the machine. The shaft 98 carries a cam operating a knife 123 to sever the stamp, as described in Specification 318,735, [Class 106 (iii), Fares &c]. A door 16 is provided in the casing of the machine for the insertion of webs of paper. The adding totalizer is actuated by the segments 49. These segments each carry a disc 124, Fig. 6b, formed with a notch in which normally lies the end of a bell-crank lever 128 pivoted on a segmental gear 126 rotatably mounted on the shaft 48 adjacent the segments 49. Movement of the levers 47, 57 .. 62 therefore results also in the setting of the gears 126 through the engagement of the levers 128 in the notches in the discs 124. A bar 134 is carried by an arm pivoted on the shaft 48 and projects through slots 152 in the gears 126. The bar is connected by a lever 137, Fig. 3, and link 139 to a lever 140 under the influence of cams 146, 150 on shafts 147, 145 which rotate with the main shaft 86, the cams acting on opposite sides of the pivot 141. When the bar 134 is raised by the cam 150 it moves in the slots 152 in the gears 126 until it engages the upper ends of the slots, the positions of which vary according to the positions of the setting-levers, and raises the gears 126 to normal position. When the bar 134 reaches the end of the slots, the levers 128 are forced out of the notches in the discs 124, and the inward movement of the arms 133 of the levers locks the bar in notches 154 of the arms 133 so that the gears 126 follow the movement of the bar 134, the gears 49 being locked by a roller 155 supported from a shaft 158 and held in contact with the teeth of the gears by a bar 160. The bar 160 is carried by arms 161, one of which is connected to a lever pivoted to a rod 164 having an extension 167 adapted to enter notch 169 in a disc 168 on the shaft 145. During the setting of the levers, the gears 49 depress the rod 164 and force the extension 167 into the notch 169 and prevent actuation of the machine. After the levers have been set, the rod is raised, and, during operation of the machine, the extension rides on the surface of the disc 168 so that the setting of the levers cannot be altered. During the return movement of the bar 134 under the influence of the cam 146, the gears 126 are carried along through the engagement of the bar in the notches 154 until the ends of the levers 128 can snap into the notches in the discs 124 under the influence of the springs 130, when the notch 154 is disengaged and the bar 134 can continue its movement without affecting the gears 126. The rotation of the gears 126 by the bar 134 is communicated to the adding totalizer. The adding totalizer is carried in a closed casing, the only opening in which is at the rear side and serves for the passage of the gears 126. The casing is thus inaccessible from the outside in order to prevent fraudulent actuation. The casing is supported and guided in its movements towards and from the gears 126 by shafts 180, 191, and studs 190 in slots in side-plates 185 carried by the shafts 48, 158. The movement is effected by means of a rod 182 engaged at each end by an arm 181 secured to the shaft 180 which is rocked by means of levers 179, 174, Fig. 20, from a cam 171 on the shaft 145. A second cam 170 on the shaft 145 actuates a bell-crank lever 196 connected by levers 201, 203, 205 to a shaft 202. The shaft 202 carries an arm 206 provided with a stud engaging a notch in a lever 209, Fig. 18, pivoted on a shaft 210 and provided with teeth adapted to drive a gear segment 212 on a shaft 213, Figs. 17 and 18, provided with three cams 214, 215, 216. When the shaft 202 is rocked, the cam 216 depresses a lever 217 secured to the rod 182 thereby raising an arm 221 loose on the shaft 210 and provided with a lifting-plate 222, which extends beneath levers 223 pivoted on the shaft 210. Projections 228 on the levers normally extend between the teeth of the totalizer wheels 229, but are released therefrom by the movement of the plate 222. Each of the levers 223 is also provided with a spring-pressed pawl 225. The units lever 223 is formed with an arm 231 connected to a spring 232 tending to hold the projection 228 in engagement with the corresponding wheel 229, while the remaining levers are each formed with a projection 230 adapted to engage with a notch 237 in corresponding arms 234 pivoted on the rod 182. The levers 223 corresponding to the units and tens are provided with a pin 224 engaged by a lever 241 loose on the shaft 202 and having a lug 242. The number of totalizer wheels 229 employed is the same as the number of setting- levers, but additional totalizer wheels constructed as Geneva transfer wheels, each receiving its movement from the next wheel of lower order, are employed. The totalizer wheels drive gears 246 connected to number wheels 248 visible through a sight opening 249 in the casing. When the casing is rocked by the cam 171, the wheels 229 mesh with the gears 126. The shaft 202 is then rocked to cause the cam 216 to raise the plate 222 and disengage the projections 228 to permit the rotation of the wheels 229 by the gears 126 under the influence of the bar 134. If, during this operation, the units or tens wheel 229 passes from 9 to 0 a " carrying tooth " 254<1> on the wheel engages the corresponding lug 242 to raise the respective lever 223 an additional amount so that the projection 230 thereon is engaged by the notch 237 of the arm 234, in which position it is retained until the completion of the adding operation. When the operation is complete, the cam 171 rocks the casing to disengage the gears 126, 229, and the cam 170 then rocks the shaft 202, releasing the lever 217 and plate 222. The cam 215 then depresses the units lever 241 if this has been raised, this lever being connected to the tens lever 223. This forces the lever 223 to be released from the lever 234 and causes the pawl 225 to rotate the tens wheel one tooth. The cam 214 then acts on the tens lever 241 connected to the hundreds lever 223 and effects a similar operation if necessary. The subtracting totalizer is carried in side frames pivoted on a shaft 298, Figs. 4, 7, and 10, on which it is rocked into operative position by a cam 261 on the shaft 145. The totalizer is rocked to effect the engagement between totalizer wheels 294 and gear segments 341 which are connected by a bell-crank lever 343 and notched disc 339 to the segments 338 in a manner similar to the connection between the segments 49, 126. Each segment 341 is formed with a slot 353 engaged by a bar 352 pivoted on the shaft 48 and rocked by a link 349 and lever 344 from a cam on the shaft 145. The units and tens totalizer wheels are provided with a " carrying tooth " 360, which, when the wheel passes from 0 to 9 position, engages a shoulder 361 on a disc 362 loose on a shaft 363 and provided with teeth engaging a segment 336 to retract a pawl 334. A cam 365 on the shaft 145 actuates a bar 370 connected to a segment 372 which, in the operative position of the totalizer, engages a gear wheel on the shaft of the wheels 294. The gear wheel is rotated once for each operation of the cam 365 and its motion is transmitted to a cam shaft 376, the cams 377 corresponding to the totalizer wheels except the units wheel, and co-operating with the discs 362. When the shaft 376 is thus rotated one of the cams 377 moves